Steam-separator



A. ILER. STEAM SEPARATOR.

(NoModel.)

Wilfgsss u 'a l j ALONZO ILER, OF GREER DEPOT, SOUTH CAROLINA.

STEAM-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,630, dated February8, 1898.

Application fin- 1- May 29, 1897.

To a/Z whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO ILER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greer Depot, in the county of Greenville and State of SouthCarolina, have invented a new and useful Steam-Separator, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to steamseparators; and it has for its object toprovide a simple and efficient device of this character especiallyintended for use in a line of pipe leading from a steam-boiler or abattery of boilers to provide means for thoroughly separating the Waterfrom the steam and returning such water to the boiler or to a pointexterior to the boiler automatically, according to the quantity of waterthat is delivered with the steam into the separator. y

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is theconstruction of a steam-separator providing for the thorough separationof water from the steam, so that the latter will pass to the engineperfectly dry, thereby relieving the engine from the bad effects ofhaving water carried to the working parts thereof and also rendering itpossible to run the engine with much less lubrication thereof. Inconnection with the delivery of perfectly dry steam to the engine theinvention also contemplates an improved automaticallycontrolled drainfor the water separated from the steam, whereby such water will bedrained back to the boiler or to a point exterior thereto, according tohow greatly the steam is impregnated with water as it is delivered fromthe boiler.

With these and other objects in view,which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is avertical longitudinal sectional view of astea1n-separator constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2is an enlarged detail sectional view of the drain-valve, showing adifferent position of the valve from that illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the casing of theseparator, which may be cylindrical, square, or other shape incross-section and is provided with a rounded serial No. 638,790. y (Nomodel.)

upper end 2, in which is centrally fitted one end of the dry-steam pipe3, which leads to the engine or other point where it is desired todeliver steam in a perfectly dry condition, entirely free from water orspray. The lower end of the casing, or opposite the end having thedry-steam-pipe connection therewith, has centrally fitted therein thesteam-inlet pipe 4, which leads from the steam-boiler or from the mainsteam-drum of a battery of boilers, as the case may be, to provide fordelivering the steam as it is generated from the boiler or boilersdirectly into the casing of the separator. The steam-inlet pipe 4extendsupwardly within the casing to a point near the upper end thereof and isprovided withv a iiared mouth or delivery end 5, which is disposeddirectly within the hemispherical inverted separating-cup 6, arranged ina fixed position within one end of the casing. The invertedheinispherical separating-cup 6 is rigidly supported in position,preferably by means of a plurality of fasteningbraces '7, securelybolted to the convexed side of the cup and the adjacent sides and end ofthe separator-casing, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The hemispherical separating-cup Gis somewhat narrower in width than thecasing 1, so as to leave `a dry-steam passage 8 between the peripheraledge of the cup and the inner sides of the casing, while the pendentperipheral edge of the cup serves to deflect the water downwardly intothe lower closed end of the casing, from which it finds escape throughthe perforate upper end 9 of the verticallymovable valve-tube 10,secured fast to the under side of a float 11, working over theinwardly-extending portion of the pipe 4 within the casing 1 andcarrying a guide-sleeve 12. The guide-sleeve 12 is securely connectedwith the upper side of the float 11 by means of the brace-feet 13,secured at their upper ends to the sleeve and at their lower ends to thefloat, said guidesleeve serving to steady or guide the float in itsup-and-down movement as it iioats on the water, so as not to disturb theproper positioning of the valven tube 10 within the valve-casing 14, inwhich it works.

The valve-casing 14 is tted at its upper end to the lower end of thecasing 1 and is proh IOO vided with a closed lower end, and saidvalvecasing 14 has fitted to the side thereof at different horizontalplanes the separate drainpipes 15 and 16, respectively, the drain-pipe 415 being the lowermost pipe and adapted to drain the water back to theboiler, while the uppermost pipe 16 is intended to drain the water, whenthere is an excess thereof, to a point exterior to the boiler. rlhevalve-tube 10 snugly registers Within the casing 14 and is provided inone side, at the lower end thereof, with an elongated drain port 17,adapted to register with the openings in the valve-casing for either ofthe pipe connections 15 and 16, the normal posit-ion of the float andthe valve-tube 10 providing for disposing the elongated drainport 17 incommunication with the pipe connection 15, leading to the boiler.

When the water in the boiler is in a normal condition, the water that isseparated from the steam by the cup 6 will readily find escape throughthe valve-tube 10 and into the pipe connection 15, which conducts thesame back to the boiler; but when the boiler or boilers are priming anda larger amount of watercollects in the separator-casing than can becarried off through the pipe 15 the float 11 rises until the drain-port17 of the valve-tube communicates with the pipe connection 16, therebycutting off communication with the pipe 15 and permitting the excess ofwater to discharge or drain through the pipe 16 to a point exterior tothe boiler.

While the separator has been described as especially adapted for use inconnection With a line of piping running toa steam-engine, it will beunderstood that the same may be used to equal advantage with a line ofpiping used in drying apparatusand the like; and it Will be understoodthat various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a steam-separa tor, the casing having a pair of drain-pipeconnections therewith, and a single float-operated valve arranged toalternately cover and uncover said drain-pipe connections, the movementof said valve in one direction providing for automatically directing thedrain of Water through one of said drain-pipe connections and at thesame time cutting off the iioW through the other connection,substantially as set forth.

2. In a steam-separator, a casing, an inverted hemisphericalseparating-cup xedly supported within the upper end of the casing andhaving its pendent peripheral edge out of contact with the inner sidesof the casing, a steam-inlet pipe extended inwardly Within the casing toa point within the concaved side of the cup,v a dry-steam-pipeconnection with the upper end of the cup, a pair of drain-pipeconnections-With the casing, and means for automatically directing thedrain of water through either of said drain-pipe connections,substantially as set forth.

3. In a steam-separator, the casing having a xed separating-surfacetherein for separating the steam and water and'deliecting the latterinto the lower part of the casing, a pair of drain-pipe connections withthe casing, and means for automatically directing the drain of Waterthrough either of said drainpipe connections, substantially as setforth.

4. In a steam-separator, the casing having an inwardly-extendingsteam-inlet pipe and a fixed separating-surface arranged in line withthe inner end of said pipe, a valve-casing fitted to the lower end ofthe separator-1 casing, a pair of drain-pipes fitted to saidvalve-casing respectively in different horizontal planes, a iioatarranged within the separator-casing and having a sliding connectionwith said steam-inlet pipe, and a verticallymovable valve-tube workingin said valvecasing and secured to the under side of the float, saidvalve-tube being provided with a perforate upper end, and in one side atits lower end With a drain-port adapted to communicate with either ofthe drain-pipe connections with the valve-casing, substantially as setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ALONZO ILER.

Vitnesses:

J S. BURNETT, I. A. MAYFIELD.

